The Magic Of Science
by EmeraldScarlettIndigo
Summary: Through a series of unfortunate events, Voyager gains a new crew member- Commander Gina "Red" Scarlett. However, it soon becomes clear that the Commander has a dark and mysterious past. This story will begin in the Delta Quadrant, but will eventually end in Storybrooke. Based on the idea- what if Q is really Rumpelstiltskin just having a little fun? ;-)
1. Chapter 1- The Arcanum

**Hi Folks. This entire story was based on a simple idea: What if there is no Q Continuum, what if it's just dear old Rumple getting up to a bit of mischief in a far away realm?**

 **I do not own any Star Trek or OUAT Characters, I'm just rudely using and abusing them.**

 **Various ships will come to light throughout this story- Tom/B'Elanna, Chakotay/Seven, (briefly) Chakotay/Janeway, Swanqueen, (briefly) Captain Swan, Rumpbelle, and a few unexpected others along the way.**

 **Rated T for now, this might change later...**

 **PLEASE REVIEW, NEXT CHAPTER READY TO BE POSTED WHEN WANTED.**

 **Chapter 1- The Arcanum**

 **Star Date 53304.64**

Electric currents violently attacked the shuttle, causing it to sway dangerously from side to side like an injured bird of prey incredulously finding itself in the centre of a thunderstorm.

"Communications are down," Councillor Troi barked above the harrowing racket, finding little solace in the trained calmness that emanated from the petite redhead navigating the vessel beside her.

"Hull integrity is holding at 67%," was the only reply Commander Scarlett could offer, her long hair slowly falling out of its meticulous ponytail with every jolting movement. Long streaks of blood red now sticking to her sweat soaked face.

"Approaching the edge of the electrical storm in 5... 4... 3... 2..."

A bright white light engulfed the shuttle, blinding it's only two occupants.

* * *

 **Star Date 53553.27** (3 months later…)

Captain Kathryn Janeway sat at her desk in her ready room, casually sipping on her fourth- or was it her fifth?- cup of coffee today. Her ready room was so quiet she could hear the comforting _tick… tick… tick_ of the old antique clock on her wall. She gazed at it, pondering how it could have possibly survived the last five years in the delta quadrant. Sure, the glass was cracked in several places, one of the hands was bent and the polished wood had a few dents here and there. It had certainly seen better days, but still it continued to _tick… tick… tick…_

She silently smiled to herself as she continued to listen, the rather large pile of reports on her desk taking a back seat for only a minute, for the first time today. She looked out of the window to gaze at the stars that hurriedly shot by in white strings of light. A reminder that they were no longer trapped in the dull, bleakness of the void they had, had to endure for far to long.

Kathryn leaned back in her chair, fighting the urge to bring her feet up to rest on the desk. _It wouldn't be befitting of a Captain of a star ship_ , she could almost hear her father chastising her. The ground beneath her suddenly lurched, spilling the last dregs of her coffee down her shirt.

"Shit!" she exclaimed to the empty room before jumping to her feet in a well rehearsed movement and heading towards her ready room door. "Here we go again…"

"Report!" Captain Janeway demanded, a second jolt to her ship threatening to knock her off her feet as she exited her ready room.

"Unidentified vessel at our port, Captain," Ensign Kim informed as she took her place in command, "two shots fired. They are now disabling their weapons".

"Damage report?"

"Moderate damage to decks 10 and 11," Kim continued.

"Have B'Elanna send an engineering team to- "

"Captain," Lieutenant commander Tuvok uncharacteristically interrupted, "scans of the vessel indicate a level of technology far superior to our own, logic would suggest that their weapons are therefore equally superior-"

"Meaning we were probably on the receiving end of a couple of warning shots," Chakotay interjected.

Janeway looked back to Tuvok for confirmation.

"Indeed," was all the reply she needed before taking her seat and throwing a final order over her shoulder at her Vulcan friend.

"Hail them".

"They are responding to our hail," Tuvok notified the crew, "however, I do not recognise this form of signal. I will need time to translate…"

This was all Janeway heard before a flash of white light invaded her senses. Drowning out all other colours, sounds, smells… she felt the comfortable arm rests of her chair disappear beneath her, and found herself floating deeper and deeper into the abyss.

* * *

A minute? An hour? A day? Janeway had no idea how long she had been floating in that endless, unconscious sea of white. Her eyes began to focus on the dark grey metal bars that criss-crossed the ceiling above her. Her throat was dry and scratchy, her tongue sticking uncomfortably to the roof of her mouth. To call what she found herself lying upon a 'bed' would have been incredibly generous, as it was more like a plank of wood- an object of necessity, blatantly giving the middle finger to any semblance of comfort. With an elegant flick of her wrist she relieved herself of the flimsy material which she supposed passed for a blanket and manoeuvred herself to sit on the edge of this precarious perch, letting out an involuntary moan as her entire body violently protested this sudden burst of movement.

"I'm getting old," she silently mused to herself as the world stopped spinning long enough for her to take in her surroundings.

A similar bed was located just opposite her, covered in a pile of dirty rags, smelling vaguely of mildew, body odour and yet a slight floral sent she couldn't quite put her finger on. The space was surrounded by three walls, one of which held a barred window showcasing the same bright streaks of stars she had been quietly observing earlier, and a fourth barricade of criss-crossed bars, behind which she could vaguely make out a dimly lit, deserted hallway. She listened intently for any sounds that could be a clue as to where she was, but there was nothing. No chatting in the distance, no scuffling of feet. Just bare, empty silence.

 _Prison_

The word seemed to echo from the darkest corners of her mind.

She allowed herself only a moment to contemplate this before rising to her feet, ignoring the cracks and creaks of her own body which, she told herself, were grossly exaggerated as the sounds bounced off the cold stone walls of the cell. She walked to the bars and looked at the lock. It strangely resembled an old earth padlock, just like the one she had seen as a little girl growing up in Bloomington, Indiana- the one her grandfather used to use to lock the stables every night.

 _Not that it did much good_ , she mused to herself. Remembering the countless times she had snuck out of bed to go for a midnight ride. She had often wondered, however, if her grandfather was aware of her late night adventures, choosing to allow them regardless.

"That's not going to work, Captain," A voice stated simply from behind her, shaking her out of her warm, complacent memories. She turned to look about the cell, still finding it empty behind her.

She observed as the pile of rags on the opposite bed slowly began to stir. A small round face appeared from beneath a curtain of bright red matted hair, her skin stained a dark brown from a thick layer of dust. A thin blanket, similar to her own was removed and the woman stood from her bed, stretching and arching her back, mimicking the same creaks and moans that her own body had performed only a few seconds ago. The woman's hair, even in its dishevelled state, reached well below her waist. The rags she wore hung loosely over her skeletal figure and although her malnutrition was clearly evident, her face was round and jovial, sporting a cheeky grin that reminded the Captain of her own lieutenant Paris- A joker in even the worst of times- only a few lines betrayed the fact that this woman was closer to her own age. Upon further inspection of the rags, she could identify the red and black of a Starfleet command uniform. She raised her eyes to count the pins that were sported on the redheads collar- _one, two_. Her stomach lurched as the sudden realisation hit her- She's not one of _my_ crew.

"With all due respect, Lieutenant, I think I may have a bit more training than you…"

The woman chuckled quietly, sauntering lazily towards the bars. Although this action would have been met by scorn coming from a member of _her_ crew, the Captain found it oddly comforting and saved the poor woman from what she had once overheard an ensign describe as "The glare that makes your ass leak".

"Commander…" The woman corrected, leaning against the bars, "Commander Gina Scarlett of the Starship Enterprise. I lost a pin, picking that damn padlock. I made it two feet out of this cell before two guards picked me up and hurled me back in here like a frisbee".

Janeway winced as she watched the Commander absent-mindedly run a hand over her bruised ribs.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager," She offered, holding out her hand hand for the woman to shake.

Scarlett willingly took her hand as she seemed to ponder her words carefully.

"Janeway… Voyager… I know those words mean something to me. My minds like a Lazy Susan, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait for it to come back around," She chuckled as she turned to look back through the bars, down the hallway.

Janeway caught the smile that was threatening to form on her lips before the redhead could see it. Now wasn't the time for jokes, it was time for information.

"I was under the impression that William Ryker was still commanding the Enterprise…" Janeway pushed cautiously.

"He was made Captain of the USS Alectrona about three years ago," Scarlett informed her, "He got a brand new ship and left me with some very big boots to fill. Very rude if you ask me and I never fail to tell him so."

Janeway let out a sigh and sat back on her bed, attempting to massage some of the stiffness from her thighs.

"Yeah, their transport system will do that to you. It'll wear off in a few hours," Scarlett smiled sympathetically.

"Who, exactly, is 'they'?" Janeway asked with a shake of her head.

"My last roommate referred to them as the Arcanum. Large, strong creatures with full body armour- whether it's biological or synthetic, I don't know. They're quiet, and I don't just mean that they don't communicate verbally, they literally make no sound. And they smell like…" the redhead seemed to mull over her next words, "Like the smell of the earth after a thunderstorm."

A silence fell over the two women as they seemed to think through their situation.

"Petrichor," Janeway affirmed, causing Scarlett to look at her quizzically, "The smell of the earth after rain- Petrichor."

"Huh…" The redhead instinctively brought her hand to her neck, pulling a necklace from beneath the rags and absentmindedly running the pendant along the chain, in a gesture that Kathryn recognised as self-soothing. _Almost like Chakotay pulling on his ears,_ she thought to herself.

"I think you've found my new favourite word, Captain…"

"It seems I've also found some non-regulation jewellery, Commander," Janeway smiled in mock reprimand.

"mmm," Scarlett hummed in agreement, "Jean-Luc couldn't take it from me so I'd like to see you try." the cheeky grin returned

"Jean- Luc? Awfully familiar way to address your Captain," Janeway chuckled, "Then again, you don't strike me as the type to follow regulations to the letter."

"Am I that easy to read?" Scarlett groaned, sitting back on the opposite bed, "We had an agreement. On the bridge it was 'Captain', off the bridge it was 'Jean-Luc'".

"And what did he call you?"

"'Number one'" Scarlett scrunched her face up in distaste, causing Janeway to double over laughing.

"It's not funny!" Scarlett protested, barely holding back her own laughter, "I lost count of how many times I asked him to just call me 'Red'".

Janeway took a deep breath to compose herself before standing to her feet once more.

"Alright, Red. How the hell are going to get out of here?".


	2. Chapter 2- Come In, Voyager

**Here it is- Chapter 2. Not sure how many people are reading, but I'm sticking with this story x**

 **Chapter 2- Come In, Voyager.**

Janeway paced through the cell like a caged animal, examining everything she could in an attempt to formulate an escape plan.

"Yeah, go ahead," Red finally spoke after an hour of this behaviour, "I've been doing that for three months, you think you're gonna find something on day one?"

"Well it's worth a shot," Janeway sighed, "Where was the Enterprise when you were taken?"

"Delivering cargo to Vulcan," Red answered, watching the Captain as she continued to search, "Although Councillor Troi and I were on a shuttle mission. We were to ron-dez-vous with the Enterprise at Star Base 9. We were barely three light years away when we encountered an electrical storm. Seemed to come out of nowhere. Next thing I know, goodbye Commander Scarlett, hello Raggedy Ann."

"You were in the Alpha Quadrant a few months ago?" Janeway asked, surprised.

"Well… yes…" Red stuttered in confusion. Janeway stared at her and watched as realisation seemed to dawn on the woman's face, "VOYAGER! Lost in the Delta Quadrant! I told you it would come back round". She chuckled.

"Well shit. Guess I'm stuck here now too," she shook her head wearily.

"Not necessarily," Janeway stated, giving up her search and sitting next to the redhead.

She immediately regretted this decision as her sense of smell was attacked by the odour coming off the young woman. Her repulsion soon turned to sympathy, however, when she reminded herself that, in a few months, she'll be smelling the same.

"The Arcanum clearly possess some sort of transportation technology, whether its similar to the Borg Transwarp technology or they have use of a wormhole… we could be anywhere by now."

Red seemed to consider this for a moment, running her pendant through the chain of her necklace yet again.

Kathryn smiled knowingly as she watched the Redhead internally contemplate the information before her. The glisten of the pendant caught Kathryn's eye and she studied it further as it rolled through her new acquaintance's fingers. It was shaped like a flower, with long red petals, probably rubies, spiralling out of a white diamond disc in the middle. She looked back up into Red's eyes which had wondered down the front of Janeway's uniform shirt. Janeway's eyes fixed into the very glare she had spared the woman from earlier and opened her mouth to tell her exactly where to go.

"There's one way to find out," Red stated, obviously coming to a conclusion of some kind. She reached out and grabbed the com-badge from Janeway's shirt, placing it in the palm of her hand.

"Commander Scarlett to the Starship Voyager," She commanded, and Janeway observed how her usually jovial tone suddenly turned to one befitting the woman's title.

"Commander Scarlett to the Starship Voyager," She tried again after there was no response.

Janeway shook her head, "They're probably well out of range by now".

"Possibly," Red conceded, "But listen…"

Janeway listened intently, but was met with only the deafening silence that greeted her when she first boarded the ship.

"I don't hear anything," Janeway relented.

"Exactly!" Red's face lit up, "There's a pattern- for weeks at a time you can hear the soft hum of the engines then suddenly…"

"Nothing."

"… for maybe two/ three days at a time."

"You think we're orbiting a planet?" Janeway asked.

"The humming stopped about ten minutes after you got here," Red stood up excitedly and started crawling beneath her bed.

"So if we can find some way to boost the signal on my com-badge…" Janeway offered, "We might be able to…"

"Way ahead of you, Mon Capitaine," Red returned back to eye level, holding two com-badges in the palm of her hand and sporting a cheshire cat-like grin from cheek to cheek.

* * *

Kathryn continued to pace through the cell, not accustomed to doing nothing while the Commander worked on boosting her com-badge's range.

"Great," Red muttered, "I'll do this, you carry on trying to create a hole in the floor through sheer friction".

Kathryn turned and glared at her.

"Oh, I'm sure that look does wonders for getting your ensigns in line Captain, but it's gonna take more than a well-rehearsed death glare to get me to cower".

"Fine," Janeway held her hands up in mock defeat and lent against the bars, watching as Red continued her dissection of their com-badges.

She tried to imagine what the redhead would look like on a normal day. Freshly showered and in a clean uniform. Clearly the woman was good at her job to land the position of Commander of The Enterprise. She chuckled at herself as she tried to imagine the great Jean-Luc Picard going head to head with this feisty woman every day, for the past three years. _Must have been an interesting day on the Bridge,_ she concluded.

"Water," Red stated, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Water," she repeated, pointing towards the bars next to her.

A small compartment in the bars next to Janeway's head had slid open, and through it stretched a long appendage. It was covered in thick olive coloured scales, which vaguely reminded her of a crocodile she had once observed in a wildlife preserve. At the end of the appendage, which she assumed to be an arm, where two elongated fingers and one opposable thumb, tipped with razor sharp claws and wrapped around a small cup containing a moderate amount of murky liquid.

Timidly, Janeway reached out to take the cup from it's grasp and gasped at the wet, slimy feel of the hand around it. The protruding arm slunk away, pulling the compartment shut behind it.

"Told you they were quiet," Red smirked at a shaken Janeway.

She looked at the offending liquid, noting how she would never dream of drinking this on a good day. Her tongue darted out to sooth her dry lips and she brought the cup to her mouth, downing every last drop.

The compartment opened once again and the hand slunk through. Getting the message, she handed the cup back. It disappeared as it had before and she waited for it to open again.

"Kinda weird, right?" Red offered as she continued with her project.

"Where's yours?" Janeway asked.

Red chuckled, "One cup of rancid water per cell, per day".

"What?" Her eyes widened, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's fine, you needed it more than I do," Red countered with a dismissive wave of her hand.

She turned Janeway's badge in her other hand and spoke in a clear, authoritative tone.

"Commander Scarlett to the Starship Voyager. Come in Voyager".

* * *

 **A couple of lightyears away...**

Commander Chakotay rubbed his earlobe, desperately trying to sooth the redness that was beginning to set in. 30hrs, that's how long Janeway had been missing. 30hrs and they still had no clue where she was, no one had seen her go and no one knew what happened. They had all been listening to Tuvok as he tried to decode the transmission from the unidentified vessel. The next thing he knew, the vessel was gone and so was their Captain.

Everyone was on red alert, scanning for the ship and their Captain for 30hrs and not even a clue, let alone an answer, to where they had gone.

Harry Kim continued to scan every frequency imaginable to the silent mantra in his head- _Come on, Captain. Give us something. Come on, Captain…_

For the hundredth time he heard some static and skipped back to it, _Probably another Delta Quadrant transmission I can't decipher,_ he reasoned, slowly giving in to the hopelessness of the situation. He listened intently none-the-less, and thought he could hear a quiet voice on the other end.

"shshshshsh Voyager, shshshsh Voyager," He began violently pressing buttons to make the unidentified voice clearer.

"Commander Scarlett shshshsh Voyager, shshsh Voyager,"

"COMMANDER!" Kim yelled in his earnest, sending the vexed Commander tumbling off the edge of his seat.

"What is it, Harry?" Chakotay ran towards the station as Kim played the transmission for all to hear.

"If we could get a bit closer, we might be able to-" Ensign Kim started.

"Do it, Tom" Chakotay barked at the younger man who sat ready for action at the Helm, "Impulse speed".

"Aye, Commander," Paris plotted a course and began to manoeuvre the ship.

* * *

"Argh," Janeway vented, "It's no use, they're probably out of range".

"Well…" Red sighed, "Was worth a shot."

Silence fell over them once again. Janeway noted that she liked the silence. Not because she disliked the amiable woman who sat across from her, but because it was mutual silence. The kind only created when two souls are forced to bond in a unique circumstance- forged in fire. A bond she shares with every member of her command team on board her ship. She ran through all their names in her head. What would they think of this beautiful woman-child that sat next to her? How would they react to this new addition to the crew? _Harry would probably drool over her like a love-sick puppy,_ she smiled at the thought of little ensign Kim trying to woo this spitfire of a woman. _She'd get on well with Tom and B'Elanna though,_ she thought, _B'Elanna could use a friend like her._

"You have many Klingon friends?" Janeway asked absent-mindedly and watched intently as Red's features shifted from an expression of quiet contemplation to a defensive stance.

Red had served aboard enough Starfleet vessels to know that this was a loaded question, particularly amongst officers of their generation some of whom had very strong opinions when it came to Klingon traditions.

"Our chief of security, Worf," She nodded, "The most honourable man I know. I used to babysit his son Alexander from time to time. Very smart kid, and surprisingly affectionate."

She waited with baited breath for a response.

Kathryn smiled and lay back down on her bed, wincing as her back settled on the stiff board below her.

"Our chief of engineering, B'Elanna Torres." She answered, "She's half Klingon, and a good friend. I was just thinking that you would get on well with her".

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the smaller woman visibly relax, slumping against the cold wall behind her.

"I would have liked to meet her."

"shshshsh Scarlett, Come in Commander Scarlett."

The two women looked at each other in disbelief, neither wanting to say anything incase it was just some cruel trick of the mind.

"Commander Chakotay of the Starship Voyager to Commander Scarlett. Do you read me, Commander Scarlett?"

Red handed the com-badge to an earnest Janeway and shuffled onto the bed next to her.

"Chakotay! Can you hear me?"

"Kathryn!" Came a surprised response, "Reading you loud and clear. We have your signal, should we beam you up? REPEAT: WE HAVE YOUR SIGNAL!".

"Alright Commander," Red interjected, "I know you're glad to hear your Captain's silky voice again but no need to burst our eardrums."

Janeway had heard her voice described in many ways before; abrasive, annoying, like a munchkin Kathryn Hepburn. But _silky_ was definitely a first.

"Commander Scarlett, I presume?" Came the calculated response from Chakotay, "Care to explain why you felt the need to abduct our Captain?"

"Personal reasons…" Red responded sarcastically, receiving herself an elbow to the ribs from the Captain.

"I'll explain everything when you get me back to my ship, Commander," Janeway directed, "Two to beam up, whenever you're ready. REPEAT: **TWO** TO BEAM UP".

 **Coming up next: A little insight into Red's past, and a very grumpy Doctor. :-)**

 **Please Review x**


	3. Chapter 3- Safe and Sound

**Yeah, I couldn't wait to post the next chapter, so here it is.**

 **Chapter 3- Safe and Sound.**

Janeway's delicate lashes slowly fluttered open and her eyesight was once again flooded with an unnaturally white light.

"Captain?" She recognised the voice of the Doctor and blinked repeatedly to regain her focus. Hazy colours flowed and swirled to form the familiar patterns of the ceiling of the medical bay.

"How long?" Janeway asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"You've been out about ten minutes," the Doctor confirmed, "You both collapsed after transporting aboard. We are unable to identify the cau- Captain!"

Janeway sat up in the medical bay bed, swatting away the Doctors attempt to get her to lie back down.

"I'm fine, Doctor." she lazily ran a hand through her hair, "Red?"

"Captain?" The Doctor enquired.

"Commander Scarlett?"

The Doctor gestured to the far end of the sick bay where Janeway observed the same pile of rags she had first seen on the alien vessel, untidily bundled in the middle of a bed.

She stood from her own bed and stretched her aching muscles, ignoring the firm protests from the Doctor. Over the years Janeway had come to learn her limits when it came to the Doctor. She could always spot the distinct difference between his usual annoyance to her lack of personal health care, and his genuine concern for her life. Although the Doctor was currently concerned that she needed time to rest, Janeway was able to deduce that she was, in fact, in no immediate danger.

She slowly walked towards the Commander's bed, less out of the necessity and more to confirm to the Doctor that she was taking it easy.

"She is still unconscious," The Doctor stated, "We are monitoring her vital signs and she is stable. I'm expecting she will wake any second".

Janeway brushed the matted locks of red out of the Commanders face and felt comforted by the warm, steady breathing that caressed the back of her hand.

"I will report back to sickbay tomorrow for your inevitable demand of a complete physical check-over," Janeway stated simply, smoothing down the front of her uniform which, to her annoyance, had become severely creased.

"Captain, I must insist-" The Doctor began to protest.

"Commander Scarlett is your top priority today, Doctor," She commanded, "She has been starved and dehydrated on that ship for three months straight. I want a complete medical evaluation and expect your report, in person, at precisely seven hundred hours tomorrow morning".

"Aye, Captain," The Doctor huffed in frustration, "Although, I must insist that you take it easy for the remainder of the day".

Janeway smiled and lay a comforting hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

"I'll be in my Ready Room, catching up on reports. Let me know when she wakes up".

The Doctor turned to face his newest patient as Janeway walked out of the medical bay.

"Don't mind me," The Doctor mumbled, "I've only been programmed with the medical knowledge and experience of hundreds of doctors. What do I know?"

* * *

 _The slow, steady drip… drip… drip… was a constant soundtrack to her life. The dank wall of the cave stung her aching back through the thin veil of her damp shirt. Red brought her knees up to her chest and shivered. It was not a bad feeling. It reminded her that she was still alive. Still, in some odd way, human. Despite what others would have her believe. Not that she had ever actually met these "others". Not in person, anyway._

 _This was her home for as long as she could remember, if you could call it a home. Her only possessions were the clothes on her back and the golden mirror that hung in the far corner of the cave- her only connection with the outside world. Through it, she now observed a young brunette, not so eagerly, preparing for her wedding._

 _"_ _Regina," Red whispered, her voice laced with sadness and anger._

 _She knew this was her duty, for the time being at least. To observe the enchanted forest, so that she may know all when the time is right. So much injustice plagued this land, and she wished she could help. She wished she could help them all. But Regina was different. She could see it all with her. From the time she was born- this perfect little princess- Red knew that she did not stand a chance. That she was doomed to be vilified, outcasted and alone. If only she could leave this damn cave… maybe she could change the woman's future. For now, all she could do was watch._

 _So transfixed was she by the images in the mirror, she barely noticed as something smooth rolled over her bare feet- dismissing it as yet another rat scavenging for a crumb to eat. It was the footsteps that followed it that made her look away from the glass._

 _A round ball lay in front of her, smooth and wet from the spring rain and painted with all the colours of the rainbow. With a flick of her wrist the image disappeared from the mirror and Red raised to her feet; her aching muscles protesting her every movement. The ball fit easily in the palm of her hand and she turned to look for its owner. A small figure hid in the shadows._

 _"_ _Its alright," Red whispered, as she crouched to roll the ball in their direction, "You can come out. I'm not going to hurt you."_

 _The tiny creature must have believed the kindness in the strangers tone for, slowly, the small girl emerged from the darkness._

 _"_ _Wh-who are you?" She stammered._

 _"_ _A friend," she replied, a smile playing on her lips, "My name is Red. What's yours?"_

 _"_ _Penelope," the girl responded, shuffling closer to the Redhead who, she observed, at full height, was not much taller than herself._

 _"_ _Careful," Red warned softly, "If you get much closer, you'll walk right into a protection barrier"._

 _"_ _Can you lower it?" the girl asked curiously, twiddling her long blonde locks through her fingers._

 _"_ _No," Red answered, "No one comes in, and no one goes out. You're the first person I've seen face to face in over 800 years"._

 _The little girl laughed, "You're old."_

 _"_ _Yes" Red laughed with her, "I suppose I am… Where are your parents, Penelope?"_

 _There was a long pause as the little girl looked down at her feet, shuffling her ball from foot to foot._

 _"_ _Are you lost?"_

 _The little girl nodded._

 _"_ _You have magic, don't you?" Penelope asked, avoiding eye contact, "I saw you, with the mirror"._

 _"_ _You're a very smart girl," Red smiled, "Yes, I do"._

 _She looked up at the redhead with pleading eyes._

 _"_ _Can you help me find my parents?"_

 _Red looked thoughtfully at the little girl. She'd gone so long without human contact that the thought of her leaving her to her solitude once again filled her with panic. She took a deep breath and chastised herself for even thinking such selfish thoughts. This was her fate to bare, her burden- and not one she would ever wish on this poor little angel._

 _"_ _On one condition," Red held out a finger to emphasise the importance of this request, "When you leave here, you tell no one about this cave and who or what is in it. Do you understand me, Penelope?"_

 _The girl nodded her head with such vigour, her golden hair bounced around like springs in a sandstorm._

 _Red walked closer to the little girl and crouched down in front of her._

 _"_ _Is it dark outside yet?" Penelope nodded, "Good. I want you to go outside and look up at the stars. Find the biggest brightest star in the sky. Then I want you to close your eyes as tight as you can and make a wish. Wish for your parents as hard as you can, and the Blue Fairy will take you home."_

 _"_ _That will work?" Penelope eyed her sceptically._

 _"_ _It will always work," Red nodded, "If your heart and your wish is pure"._

 _"_ _Thank you," Penelope turned on her heel to rush out the cave, but stopped only a few feet away. She turned back to Red and noted the brief flicker on her face before her smile returned. Penelope crouched to the ground as Red had done before and rolled the ball towards her._

 _"_ _In case you get bored," the girl stated, "800 years is a long time."_

 _And with that, she skipped merrily out of Red's life._

 _"_ _Indeed it is, Kid" Red murmured, lowering herself to the floor again and closing her eyes._

When she opened them again, the dank surroundings of the cave were replaced by a bright white light bearing down on her from above. The drip… drip… drip… that echoed through the cave was replaced by a quiet humming coming from somewhere in the distance. Usually, waking up in new surroundings to the sound of a strangers voice would immediately put her on her guard. But that tune… she knew that tune…

Without a second thought, she began to sing the lyrics.

 _And when I get that lonesome feeling,_

 _And I'm miles away from home,_

The Doctor spun around from his work station as the almost angelic voice filled his sick bay.

 _I hear the voice of the mystic mountains,_

 _Calling me back home,_

He smiled as he made his way towards the Commanders bed. How could he resist joining her for the chorus? Their voices harmonising perfectly and bouncing off the pristine walls of the room.

 _So take me back to the Black Hills,_

 _The Black Hills of Dakota,_

 _Where the pines are so high,_

 _They kiss…_

 _The sky…_

 _Aboooove._

"Good to see your spirits are high enough for singing, Commander," He smiled down at his patient, "Do you know where you are?"

Red rubbed her eyes as her vision began to clear to the point she could actually see the older man standing above her. She curiously glanced around the room in an attempt to get her bearings.

"If I had to hazard a guess, Doc," She smiled childishly, "I'd say I was in the Medical Bay on the U.S.S. Voyager. Currently stranded somewhere in the middle of the Delta Quadrant… Am I warm?"

"Ding, ding, ding," The Doctor joked sarcastically, "We have a winner."

"Ha," Red slowly sat herself up, noticing her rags had been replaced by a medical gown and some sort of tube was taped to her arm. She tried not to think of the needle that was probably resting in her bloodstream as she turned her attention to the The Doctor yet again, "What'd I win? A splitting headache?"

 _Great,_ The Doctor thought to himself _, that's just what this crew needs- another comedian._

"Well, young lady," He smirked, "You've won instructions to drink plenty of fluids, indulge in some vitamin supplements- curtesy of the our fine replicators- and a few days of bed rest."

"Doc," Red laughed, "I think I've already had enough bedrest to last two lifetimes. How long was I out?"

 _Fantastic, another crew member to disregard my medical advice._

 _"_ _6_ hours," He informed her, "The Captain will be glad to know you're finally awake".

He tapped his com-badge.

"Sick bay to Captain Janeway,"

Red held her breath as she awaited the familiar voice of the Captain.

"Go ahead, Doctor," She eventually responded, her tone betraying her obvious concern.

"Our newest Commander is now awake… and has a wonderful singing voice, I might add," He winked at Red playfully.

There was a brief pause before Janeway responded, her voice a mixture of relief and amusement.

"Acknowledged. I will send someone to show her to her quarters. If I recall, she was in dire need of a shower and some clean clothes."

Red reached up and tapped The Doctor's com-badge herself.

"I can **hear** you, Kathryn," she quipped, menacingly.

"Acknowledged," was the only response she received.

* * *

Red sat back in her bed as the Doctor returned to his work station. She watched him intently as he moved around; pouring, measuring, with absolute precision. Suddenly he seemed to flicker in front of her and the carefully balanced beaker between his fingers slipped and shattered to the ground.

His smile was replaced by a mask of annoyance.

"Sick bay to engineering," He seethed, "Is anyone planning on looking into these power fluctuations? It's not as if I hold your very health in the palm of my hand or anything…"

"Yes, Doctor," a gruff female voice rang out, "We are looking into it."

Before adding sarcastically.

"Your patience is appreciated".

He rolled his eyes.

"You're the EMH?" Red asked curiously.

The Doctor turned to face her, and she observed the flicker of worry that crossed his face- clearly a sore subject.

"Yes," he stated simply, "But I assure you, my medical knowledge and capabilities are more than adequate".

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Red smiled as he moved to clean the mess on the floor, "How long have you been active?"

"Just over five years".

"Remarkable," She stated, "I've often wondered, if you left a hologram running for an extended period of time, how long would it take before he or she becomes sentient?"

The Doctor looked up at her questioningly.

"How long did it take you?" She asked, and The Doctor studied her intently. But to his surprise, he saw no hint of her patronising or belittling him. Only a natural curiosity- one he had observed in most, if not all the officers on Voyager, at some time or another.

"I'm not entirely sure," He answered truthfully, "I still have much to learn about human interactions and social norms."

"Don't we all?" She laughed, and he smiled. Safe in the knowledge that she was laughing with him and not _at_ him. He made a mental note to study the woman further in her social interactions, as she seemed to have an affinity for putting people at ease.

 _An unusual skill_ , he observed, _Almost forcing one to grow fond of her. Inspiring loyalty and trust from the start. A helpful skill to learn, if I can._

Red's eyes seemed to glaze over as she stared ahead, clearly contemplating an issue that required her immediate thought. Her hand absent-mindedly reached towards her neck. Her quiet contemplation was cut short, however, as panic began to set in.

"My necklace," she pleaded, her breaths becoming shallow and irregular, and a warning alarm sounded as her heart-rate increased exponentially, "I was wearing a necklace!"

The Doctor calmly moved to the side and pulled open a drawer, extracting the delicate chain and holding it before him.

"I put it in here for safe keeping," He informed her as he watched her visibly relax before him, the alarm silencing itself as her heart rate began to return to normal.

"Thank God," Red sighed reaching out towards it.

Ever chivalrous, The Doctor walked behind her, draping the chain around her neck and fastening the clasp in place. Red ran a delicate hand over the pendant, clearly satisfied that it had been returned to its rightful place.

"It must hold a lot of sentimental value, if the thought of loosing it is enough to send you into near cardiac arrest," He scoffed.

"Sorry Doc," She smiled sheepishly, clearly embarrassed by her sudden outburst, "It's the only thing I have to remind me of home".

The Doctor nodded his understanding. Although he never really understood the importance people placed on inanimate objects, he supposed it couldn't be easy for the woman to be stranded so far out, with nothing but a necklace to her name.

"And where is home, exactly?" He asked, deciding to take the opportunity to work on his small-talk.

"Maine," She offered, "A little town called Storybrooke".

"Storybrooke?" He scoffed, "And who was the bright mind that came up with that name?"

Red laughed, but he never got his answer as the sick bay doors slid open to reveal probably the only person on board, except perhaps Naomi, shorter than the redhead that sat before him.

"Commander Scarlett?" He enquired, a jolly smile gracing his furry little lips as she nodded in response, "I'm Ambassador Neelix. The Captain instructed me to show you to your quarters."

"Thank you, Ambassador," Red extended a hand to the Talaxian, which he humbly took and helped her as she slipped off the bed.

"Please, call me Neelix," He requested.

"Nice to meet you Neelix," she replied, "And please, call me Red."

"Well, Red," He nodded, "You must be hungry. Why don't we stop by the mess hall on the way and get you a nice bowl of Leola Root stew. My own recipe".

"That sounds marvellous. I've never even heard of Leola Root," Red beamed, "but I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain-check on that."

"I'm sure the Commander would prefer to get to her quarters and freshen up," The Doctor interjected, "I doubt she'd be comfortable traipsing around the ship in nothing but a medical gown. Perhaps a site to site transfer?"

Neelix pouted like a prepubescent boy being denied his favourite after-school treat.

"You can torture her with your culinary concoctions another time." The Doctor smirked.

"Of course," Neelix acquiesced before tapping his com-badge, "Neelix to transporter room 1, two to beam from sick-bay to deck 3".

"Thanks for everything Doc," Red smiled as the sick bay blurred around her.

"Get some rest, Commander" The Doctor shouted his final medical instruction hoping it wouldn't, once again, fall on deaf ears.


	4. Chapter 4- Welcome To Voyager

**Chapter 4 - Welcome To Voyager.**

"Coffee, black" Janeway instructed the replicator in her ready room for the second time that morning as she sauntered over to it, PADD in hand. She had gotten up early that morning, as she had most mornings since being stranded in the Delta quadrant. Sleep was a foreign concept that never came easily to the Captain. An unfortunate issue that gave her plenty of time to keep up to date with the endless reports she was forced to read.

She glanced at the clock on the wall- 06:50. The Doctor would be knocking at her door any second. _The sooner, the better,_ she thought, having been distracted by her thoughts of their newest crew member since returning to the ship. She was vaguely surprised at how quickly she seemed to bond with the petite redhead, as she recalled the relief she felt the day before in hearing her voice over the com-system.

 _"_ _I can_ ** _hear_** _you, Kathryn"_

 _I'm going to have to keep that in check,_ Janeway thought to herself. As Captain of a starship stranded so far away from home, she had come to the conclusion, rather early on in the journey, that she couldn't afford the luxury of being a real friend to any member of her crew. With the exception of Chakotay and Tuvok, any other friendship would only give the impression that she was showing favouritism.

 _And that,_ she affirmed, _would create more problems than it's worth._

Janeway sat at her desk, just in time to look up as the familiar chime of her door sounded.

"Enter".

The Doctor strode through the door, PADD in hand and observed the coffee on his Captain's desk with distain. Only serving to earn him the required eye-roll.

"How are you feeling this morning, Captain?" He asked, concerned.

"Fine," She stated, "I haven't forgotten that I'm to report to sick bay this morning, but if we could please get to the issue of Commander Scarlett-"

"Of course," The Doctor shook his head, "After a full physical examination, the only physical damage our new Commander sustained over the last three months were two fractured ribs, which were easily fixed although she might experience some tenderness for a few days. She was dehydrated and there were a few nutritional deficiencies, as such she has been advised to drink plenty of fluids and nutritional supplements and, much to her apparent dismay, get some rest."

Janeway chuckled at The Doctors frustrated tone.

"She has been trapped in a cell for three months, doing nothing but rest. I'm sure she's just eager to be up and about."

"Indeed," He handed her his written report.

"Thank you, Doctor." She placed it on the ever-growing pile, returning her attention to the report she had been reading previously.

"Dismissed".

However, when The Doctor made no attempt to leave she returned her gaze back to him. He seemed to be unsure whether or not to add something to his report.

"Is there something else?"

"I'm not sure whether it's relevant," he admitted, "Normally I would not want to break doctor-patient confidentiality, but something does bother me".

Janeway placed the report to the side and gestured for The Doctor to sit.

"I can assure you Doctor, whatever it is, I will be discrete."

This seemed to persuade him as he sat across from her, leaning in to keep his voice at a near whisper.

"Although there was no other physical damage caused over the last three months, I observed various previous injuries."

"That's not exactly uncommon for a starfleet officer," Janeway said dismissively.

"Quite," The Doctor agreed, "But these injuries seem severe even so. An unusual amount of scarring, some of which seem to have healed only to open and re-heal numerous times. Broken bones that have healed only to be broken again. Internal scar tissue that-"

"- has healed, only to scar again?" Janeway finished for him in a confused tone.

"Exactly," The Doctor confirmed, "I fear she might have a history of being abused or tortured in some way. Perhaps it would be prudent to advice some sort of psychological help in the future".

"Agreed," Janeway confirmed, "Seven is working on a way to use the Borg transwarp systems to allow us to communicate with starfleet. She seems optimistic. Perhaps Councillor Troi of the Enterprise could fill you in on Red's psychological history".

"That would be helpful," The Doctor agreed.

"Thank you, Doctor," Janeway smiled.

"Just doing my job".

* * *

Red was relieved when her new Talaxian friend showed up at her door the next morning to escort her to the Captain's Ready Room. It didn't matter how many star ships she had served aboard, she always seemed to get lost in the never-ending maze of a new ship.

Voyager was much smaller than the Enterprise, with a crew of barely 150, but no less impressive by any stretch of the imagination. As such, she listened intently as Neelix gave her a run-down of the different departments on board the ship. Airponics, Astrometrics, Sick Bay, Mess Hall, The Bridge, Engineering… amazing what such a small ship could accomplish.

Neelix's ramblings were cut short, however when they entered the Bridge. Red suddenly felt like the main attraction in a freak show as all eyes turned to her, knowing full well that her arrival on Voyager was exceedingly unusual and would inevitably be met with a healthy dose of curiosity and suspicion. Never-the-less, the petite redhead expertly laced her fingers behind her back, straightening her posture and exuding an air of composure and respectability.

"It's not every day we get a new crew member on board," Neelix all but apologised as he lead her towards the Captain's Ready Room.

"Enter," Janeway instructed as she continued to pour over yet another engineering report from B'Elanna, thanking her lucky stars for a head engineer who kept her reports brief and concise.

"Your newest crew member, Captain," Neelix announced.

"Thank you, Neelix," Janeway waved him off.

He smiled at the brief dismissal and left the Commander in Janeway's more than capable hands.

"Captain," Red greeted, after he had left.

Janeway momentarily placed the report to the side, vowing to finish it later, and looked up at Commander Scarlett.

She could barely believe it was the same person she had spent the last few days with. Her long red hair flowed, straight down below her waist and caught the light in a way that almost made the small woman look as if she were on fire. Her skin was fair and pale and her green eyes wide and happy. Starfleet uniforms were almost universally renowned for being unforgiving, and hers clung to every curve, highlighting an almost perfectly hourglass figure. Only that relentlessly childish grin that was so ultimately Red, convinced Janeway that she was in fact the same woman.

Kathryn rose from her chair, indicating to the comfortable seating area on the other side of her Ready Room, "Please, have a seat".

Red nodded and made her way towards the couch.

"Coffee?" Janeway offered as she turned to the replicator once again, "Or do you prefer tea?"

Red laughed, "Could I be a pain and ask for a cinnamon mocha?"

"Really?" Janeway scrunched her nose in disgust as she instructed the replicator regardless, "Please tell me there's a story behind that one".

Red nodded her head, gladly accepting the mug.

"Nothing exciting, I'm afraid. Back home, our Sheriff always used to have cinnamon on her hot chocolate."

The two woman sat next to each other on the couch.

"I've never really been a fan of cinnamon, but she convinced me to try it. I really enjoyed it, but could never give up my regular cups of coffee. One day, I walked into the diner and Ruby- my friend, who worked as a waitress there- handed me a cup of hot chocolate, with cinnamon and a shot of coffee. It became my regular order, and now-"

"- and now, it's a reminder of home?" Janeway enquired.

"Exactly".

"I can understand that," Janeway nodded, "I never board a ship unless I've got my grandmother's recipe for chocolate fudge brownies. I swear, it tastes different to the average brownie".

"Oh, just you wait," Red exclaimed, "I hope you like spicy food, because you have got to taste Mayor Mills' lasagne. Secret ingredient- red pepper flakes. It's the best."

"Seems like you come from a very close-knit town," Janeway observed, understanding the feeling of camaraderie that comes with growing up in a small town.

"Where is that exactly?"

"Storybrooke, Maine," Red smiled.

"Storybrooke?"

"Yeah, unusual name, I know. But it kind of suits the town in a weird way."

Janeway nodded, "Bloomington, Indiana".

"Farming town?"

"Yes, mostly farmers," Janeway agreed, "very backwater town."

"Only the best are," Red took a sip of her drink.

 _mmmm, just like Granny used to make._

"But, Storybrooke is more than that for me," Red admitted, "I never really had a family before I moved there. No parents, no siblings. And the entire town just took me in as one of their own."

"You were in the system growing up?" Janeway cringed. Even in this day and age, she knew that there were still issues when it came to the foster system.

"No," Red lowered her head, "I… um… kind of avoided that."

Janeway nodded her head in understanding, she certainly wouldn't be the first, or the last child to fall through the cracks.

"Well, Commander," she started, shifting smoothly into business mode, "Since you are now on board my ship, I am forced to make a decision on where to put you. Without being able to even look up your record. So tell me, what are you good at?"

"Well…" Red smirked, "I can sing, I'm not a bad dancer, I'm a decent cook…"

"How about we stick to your Starfleet training?"

"Spoil sport," Red stuck out her tongue childishly, pleased at the slight chuckle she got as a response.

"Most of my training has been in Engineering, I have basic medical experience, but the Helm is where I really shine."

"The Helm?"

"Yep, if you want speed and precision, I'm your girl," Red grinned, "But seriously Captain, I'll go wherever I'm needed. I have no problem reporting to someone I outrank, if you have a department that's understaffed. Hell, I'll work with Neelix in the Mess Hall if that's where you need me."

"As tempting as the idea of edible food may be, we could actually use you at the Helm." Janeway smiled as Red's eyes lit up with glee.

"At the moment we have Paris manning the helm, and various ensigns taking over when he's off duty. So if the two of you could share the duty between you, it gives us more man power in engineering".

"Which, no matter what ship you're on, could always need a few more men".

"Ah!" Janeway smiled knowingly, "Were you ever trained by Admiral Scotty by any chance?"

"uh-oh," Red grinned, "I guess I'm showing my age".

"Now that man could handle his drink-"

"Oh, You're telling me! There was this one time, after a particularly long lecture, he took us all out for drinks. And there was this group of Klingons-"

Red's story was cut short as the ship suddenly lurched to the side, spilling both of their drinks down their shirts.

"Shit!" they both cried out in unison, shaking as much of the scalding liquid off of themselves as possible. Purely out out of instinct both women turned towards the Ready Room door, making their way to the Bridge.

"That's my line, Commander," Janeway threw over her shoulder.

"I'm afraid you're gonna have to learn to share, Captain".

* * *

"Report!" Janeway commanded as she entered a Bridge that was dangerously swaying beneath her, red lights and red alert alarms filling her senses. She fought that odd sense of Deja vu that always seemed to occur in moments like these and made her way to her chair as quickly as possible.

"Kazon ship," Chakotay informed indicating towards the screen in front of them, "They seemed to come out of nowhere and began to open fire immediately".

"Rapid fire coming from the vessel," Tuvok chimed in, "Their weapons are beyond their usual capabilities, we are sustaining damage and are unable to take out their weapons array".

Janeway paused for a minute, all eyes on her, awaiting her orders. Perhaps the Doctor was right, she should have taken time to rest because she was most definitively drawing a blank.

"Picard the bastards!" A strange voice rang out.

In perfect unison the entire Bridge crew turned to the petite Redhead, who was now clinging to a handrail for dear life.

"Commander?" Janeway enquired.

"If we use the Picard manoeuvre, it might buy us enough time to target their weapons array".

Janeway smiled and wasted no time.

"Tom!" she ordered with a single word.

"I'll do my best, Captain," Paris nodded, his tone filled with concern as he began punching orders into the console before him, "But I've never quite mastered it-"

"Commander?" Janeway enquired once again.

"Trained by the man himself," she confirmed.

"Good, take the Helm".

Scarlett ran towards the Helm with an unnerving amount of grace. The second the Lieutenant had stood from his seat, he was replaced.

"Mind if I observe?" Paris asked over her shoulder.

"Not at all, Lieutenant," She moved to the side slightly to allow him to watch as she began punching in new orders, "Course, however brief, is plotted Captain, awaiting your orders".

"Tuvok?" Janeway enquired.

"Calculating the vector necessary to take out their array in correlation to our next position".

"Captain," Ensign Kim piped up, "We have already sustained substantial damage, if we don't do this soon, we might be looking at a core breach".

"TUVOK!"

"Calculations complete. On your order-"

"ENGAGE, DAMNIT!"

* * *

A young Kazon manning the sensors on the other ship smiled menacingly. HE was part of the crew that was about to take down the infamous Voyager ship. His smile quickly turned, however, when suddenly the sensors showed not one but TWO Voyager ships.

"Captain!" He shouted, but before he could even articulate what he saw, the first ship vanished and a clean shot took out that wonderful weapon they had salvaged from that deserted Borg cube.

By the time they had realised what happened, Voyager had sped off into the distance.

"What the hell was that?" The angry Kazon Captain shouted at no one in particular.

* * *

"Yes!" Commander Scarlett exclaimed, the palm of her hand hitting the smooth metal of the console before her as the rest of the crew breathed a sigh of relief, "You and I, Voyager, we're going to be good friends".

Paris smiled down at her, "Is that a vital part of the manoeuvre? Personifying the ship?"

"It's a vital part of any manoeuvre, Lieutenant".

He laughed at the seriousness of her facial expression in conjunction with her teasing tone.

"Lieutenant Paris," He held out his hand, "Please, call me Tom".

"Commander Scarlett Of The U.S.S. … Voyager- I guess," She smiled at her near slip-up as she took his hand in a firm handshake, "But you can call me Red".

"You're name is Red Scarlett?" He enquired, "Your parents must have been a laugh".

"Gina Scarlett, but the name and the hair… Everyone's always called me Red" She stood and relinquished control of the Helm to Tom once again.

"Well, Red," He sat back down, speaking up to her, "Think you could spare some hours in the Holodeck? I have a feeling you could teach me a few things."

"Any time, Tom".

Janeway observed this interaction from her chair. Although she smiled at the friendly interaction between them, she was concerned. Commander Scarlett put up a good front, but Janeway knew the signs when she saw them. Hell, she had probably exhibited a few of them herself that day. Red leaned against the console, in a way that others might see as comfortable. She occasionally rubbed her temples as if warding off a headache, which, she guessed, was already there. She would occasionally smooth down her shirt, accompanied with a loud clearing of the throat, to hide the rumbling of her stomach. She was tired, dehydrated and hungry.

"Commander," She called across the Bridge, her scrutinising look would have pierced through any other crew member there, "When was the last time you ate?"

Red's eyes glazed over the Captains form and she placed her hands on her hips.

"I could ask you the same question, Captain," she threw it back daringly, and all eyes were on Janeway.

Her face softened slightly and the corners of thin lips began to rise against her will.

"Take a trip to the mess hall, get something to eat," The Captain rose from her chair, "And report to the Bridge at 06:00 tomorrow morning." She turned towards her Ready Room once again.

"That's an order." she threw over her shoulder for good measure, leaving The Bridge in Chakotay's hands. If she was going to survive the rest of the day, She needed another coffee.

"Aye, Captain".

 **Coming up: A little more insight into Red's life in** **Storybrooke...**

 **Please Leave A Review x**


	5. Chapter 5- Welcome To Storybrooke

**Chapter 5- Welcome To Storybrooke.**

"NO!"

The unusually harsh voice reverberated the the hollow cave of her home, shaking the ground around them. If not for the firm protection spell, she might have been concerned about a possible cave in. Instead she clutched her sides as if in agony as she witnessed the scene unfold in front of her.

The gold embellishments of the mirror framed Regina as she stood in her castle. Tears streamed freely down her pale cheeks as she clutched the glowing red organ in her hands.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." Regina kept muttering over and over again.

She did it. Red never thought she would actually do it. Saying you need to sacrifice the heart of the thing you love the most and ACTUALLY doing it are two totally different things. If she were free from this cave right now, she'd be smacking that infuriating woman up the back of the head so fast.

Henry was a good man, she'd been watching him too. Since the day he was born his heart was always pure and loving. And now he was gone... For what? A stupid curse that would send everyone away to a far off land without magic?

"Everyone except me..." Red whispered, tears already threatening to spill. Even a dark curse wouldn't be able to break down the protection spells that had clung to this place like a baby sloth for 900 years, she was sure of it.

She clutched her sides harder, nails digging into already freshly bruised and cut flesh. Her breath became shallow and quick, there wasn't enough oxygen in this damn cave.

"Regina..." She whimpered, "Don't... leave me here ... on my own. Please... Don't..."

But even as she pleaded, she watched as Henry's heart was slowly crushed to dust in the palm of Regina's hand.

"No!" She croaked, and she could have sworn she saw a pair of sad brown eyes flit towards the sound in response. Closing the distance between herself and the mirror, Red grabbed the frame.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO?".

Thunder rolled above her and lightning crashed in reply.

"No..." Red's eyes widened as she willed the mirror to leave the scene in Regina's castle, flicking through all the mirrors in the realm. She could seen the rolls of deep purple beginning to form, devouring everything it touched, leaving complete destruction in its path.

"No, no, no, no... NO!" Panic clawed at her chest like a rabid beast, "you can't do this to me! You can't just leave me! You can't!"

She raised a hand at the mirror, ripping it from its wall and hurling it across the cave. The glass shattered with the force of the blow, covering the floor with delicate little spikes.

Red's arms snaked around her front, clutching the only thing she knew to still be real- herself. Her back hit the stone cold wall behind her as she tried to breathe... Just breathe...

She slid down the wall, not even caring as the thin slices of glass ripped at her naked feet. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head upon them.

If she thought she was alone before, she truly was now.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the slightly parted curtains and gently caressed pale delicate skin. It was this odd sensation that drew her out of her deep, pitiful slumber.

"What the hell?" She moaned in her sleep ridden haze as she turned towards the unwelcomed intrusion. Her eyes fluttered open and blinked rapidly at the foreign light.

"Is that the sun?" She asked no one in particular, firmly in the habit of talking to herself.

Red looked about the room she found herself in. Sun, curtains, bed, walls... Actual painted fucking walls. A bedroom... Her room? The concept of sleeping anywhere other than a cave was completely foreign.

A fantastic thought jolted through her- could the dark curse have freed her? Was is possible? Or was this just some sort of cruel, grief induced dream?

She pulled the white satin sheets off of her and stood from the bed. A pair of red slippers sat patiently by her feet, as if they did every morning, and she stared at them. Looking down she could see they were the exact shade of red as the lace night dress that clung to her body. The realisation dawned on her that she would never have magiced herself such an outfit. It was tight, revealing and not at all practical. She waved her hand to conjure up something a little more suitable. But nothing happened. She tried again and... Nothing. This truly was a land without magic.

Walking towards a piece of furniture she vaguely recognised as a wardrobe, she flung the doors open and rifled through the various items, making a mental inventory. Several pairs of black jeans, some skinny and long, others way too short to be decent, tank tops with various logos ranging from Led Zeppelin to Metallica to something named "Roni's Bar and Grill", hanging up in front of her were five identical skater dresses- all the exact same shade of red.

Reaching out a tentative hand, she plucked one of the dresses off its hanger, reasoning that the weather looked good and there was no way in hell she was wearing a pair of those shorts.

Once she was fully dressed, she slowly pushed open the bedroom door. The large room that greeted her was split into two sections. The section farthest from her had been converted into a kitchen area, whilst the section she was now in contained a plush leather sofa with a matching armchair, a large screen TV was mounted on the the wall and next to it a tall bookshelf which graciously lent its purpose to a hoard of books and DVDs.

Picture frames littered the walls of the generously sized room and Red stalked the room in an attempt to see every last one of them. Tears filled her eyes as she identified the people within them. People she knew and had watched with interest over the years. There were several of her and Red Riding Hood- had she befriended the wolf? One portrayed Red sitting in what appeared to be a restaurant as Eugina Lucas presented her with a large chocolate cake decorated with candles and sparklers. Another showed her in some kind of tavern with Snow White's dwarves- Red and Grumpy were front and centre happily clinking their glasses together. The frame that really caught her eye was perched on top of the book case. It was made of dark mahogany and intricate patterns swirled lovingly on the polished wood. Red reached up to lower the frame to her eye level and nearly squealed in delight- for in the picture, she was polishing a newly built rocking horse while Gepetto stood behind her, clearly pointing out spots she many have missed, with a gleeful look on his face. As she caressed the frame in her hands, she felt her finger brush against something cold and hard. Turning it around she noticed a small brass plaque screwed to the back of the frame. Squinting slightly, she read the inscription: "'Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family. It is the advancement of man, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth.' - You are my peace, and the daughter I wish I could claim as my own. Papa Marco x".

Red's hand flew to her mouth as a choked sob escaped. A few hours ago she was wracked with self pity over what she was about to lose and now she stood having gained so much more than she could ever imagine- a family and friends that loved her.

Wiping the tears from her eyes and looking towards the front door she noticed a rack of shoes of all shapes and colours. Hurriedly pulling on a pair of grey, well-worn Chuck Taylors and shouldering the handbag that was hung behind the door, she ran out of her apartment and into this brave new world.

* * *

It didn't take her long to spot the glaring sign that boasted "Granny's Diner" and walk unsteadily through the door.

"Red!" A friendly voice rang out, and Red turned to see Ruby waving at her from behind the bar.

"It's a little early for you, isn't it?" she enquired, placing a to-go cup in front of her.

"What's this?" Red enquired skeptically.

"Wow, you clearly drank a little more last night than I realised," she grinned back at her, "It's your coffee, the same thing you have every morning".

Red grinned sheepishly as she raised the cup to her lips and drank her first sip of the intoxicating liquid, letting out a small content sigh as the heat ran through her body.

"Aaannnddd she's back," Ruby mocked, "Now that you're caffeinated, I was thinking about what you were saying last night. I know the pay isn't good at Marco's, not that you'd ever leave him. But I do know of someone that's looking for a part time cleaner, if you're interested?"

"Sure, sounds good" Red played along.

"Great!" She beamed, "Oh Madame Mayor…" She sing-songed towards someone a ways down the bar, who began to saunter in their direction.

"This is the woman I was telling you about," She informed the mayor triumphantly, "She's hard-working and extremely reliable. If you need any more references, I'm sure both Granny and Marco will be glad to give it to you."

Regina stood tall in her deep purple dress and sky high black stilettos, towering over the tiny woman before her.

"What's your name, Dear?" it was more of an order than an inquiry and Red could not believe that, after all this time, here she was. The very same Regina that she had watched grow up for so many years; the struggles she had to endure through this woman. The very woman that she had just watched rip the beating heart out of her own father and crush it to dust. They very woman that had just unknowingly freed her from years of solitude and confinement- close enough for her to touch.

" 'Gina?" she asked, shocked to her very core.

"Well, do you have a last name, Gina?" The brunette rolled her eyes in impatience.

"Uh…" She considered correcting the mistake, but ultimately decided to just go with it, "Scarlett… Gina Scarlett".

"Really?" Ruby asked from behind the bar and Red mentally slapped herself. Surely the curse had given her a name, she couldn't just make one up.

"Sorry," Ruby grinned sheepishly "God knows how many years I've known Red, but I don't think I even thought to find out her real name."

"Everyone calls me Red," She offered a hand for the brunette to shake, which was subsequently ignored.

" _Miss Scarlett,"_ Regina emphasised the words clearly, "You are employed on a provisional basis. I expect you to thoroughly clean 108 Mifflin street, 3 days a week when you are not otherwise employed."

She reached into her pocket and withdrew a spare key, placing it on the bar in front of them.

"Do not prove to be untrustworthy," she threatened, turning on her heel and exiting the diner.

"Real riot, that one," Ruby sneered.

"Yeah, thanks," Red pocketed the key and sat on the stool, trying to drink in the events of the morning so far. It was so difficult for her not to feel as if she were trapped in some sort of dream.

"Uh… Honey," Ruby interrupted her thoughts, "It's 7:50, Marco's not gonna be pleased if you're late."

Red looked up at her as if trying to piece together her words with their meanings.

"Right," Red hazarded a guess, "Marco… work…"

Ruby nodded.

"Um… Which way to Marco's again?"

"Okay, seriously," Ruby shook her head, "Drink that coffee and shake off that hangover. I don't need another lecture from Marco on how much of a bad influence I am. He and Granny nearly came to blows the last time."

"Aw…" Red teased, remembering the tense relationship between Granny and Gepetto back in the enchanted forest, "Don't tell me we caused them to have another lover's spat".

Ruby's eyes widened comically as she looked around for prying ears, "Will you shut up! If she hears us joking about that she'll put _us_ on the menu!"

Ruby shooed a giggling Red out of the door and gave her a small shove towards Marco's.

 _I could get used to this town_ , she thought to herself as she made her way down the street, easily spotting the simple shop up ahead. She recognised the man standing on top of a ladder out front as Gepetto, and the second he saw her his face lit up.

"Ay!" he smiled, climbing off the ladder, "La mia piccola fragola!"

His arms immediately encased her in her very first hug.

 _Oh yeah, I could definitely get used to this town._


	6. Chapter 6- A Visit From QRumple

**Chapter 6**

 **Captain's Personal Log- Star Date 53618.28**

Commander Scarlett has now been on board Voyager for three weeks and has proven herself to be reliable and hardworking. Although I would expect nothing less from someone that has served aboard the Enterprise, I do worry that she has integrated herself into the crew with a little too much ease. Mr Paris has already shown a fondness, and a willingness to learn from the woman- perhaps it is this friendship that has helped her the most when it comes to winning the hearts of my crew. I walked past them in the corridor just the other day, receiving only a nod of acknowledgment from each of them, before continuing their arguments over Hitchcock Vs Tarantino. Personally I prefer a good book or a holonovel over the old television screens, but each to their own, I suppose.

As predicted, Mr Kim has been ceremoniously making a fool out of himself on a regular basis. On one hand I find his behaviour rather endearing- as well as understandable. It can get quite lonely, being so far away from home and having no one to call your own. However, that might just be the motherly instincts in me. On the other hand, as a Captain, I find his desperate puppy dog routine to be deplorable and completely unprofessional. I will admit to finding myself fighting the urge to slap him on her behalf more times than I care to count.

Red has expressed to me that she found great comfort on board The Enterprise through the bartender Guinan (oh, how I wish we had a bar to tend!), who occasionally took it upon herself to act as a counsellor and confidante to many of the crew. I'm glad that she has once again found that sort of relationship in Neelix. Whatever demons clearly plague her past, they would never phase a man who knows so much when it comes to personal loss and suffering.

Even Seven has expressed an interest in the "intriguing" woman.

For my part, I'm happy to finally find a worthy Velocity opponent! More than worthy in fact, I have only beaten her once and strongly suspect she was "going easy on me". This, however, will not deter me from trying to beat her again. I have enjoyed learning about Red and her past, as well as sharing my own, however I still feel as if she's holding back slightly. As if there's some huge secret she would never dare share. She certainly misses home, and the people she refers to as family. That much is obvious. But she shows no great desire to get home in a hurry. When casually asked about this she insists that its simply "The allure of an adventure in the Delta Quadrant".

I find myself growing suspicious of Red, and I'm not the only one. Both Chakotay and Tuvok have expressed their concerns on more than one occasion and, much to my dismay, B'Elanna seems to find the woman completely intolerable.

It is odd how easily they were able to beam us aboard from the Arcanum vessel. Surely, with their superior technology, they would have been able to block out any signal from our ship, preventing our escape. There are many unanswered questions from those two days- Who are the Arcanum, and what did they want? What sort of transport technology were they using? Could it have benefitted us in our journey? And why did they feel the need to flee after we were rescued? Surely, we could pose no threat to them…

End Log

Janeway leaned back in her chair and rubbed her tired eyes. The last three weeks had been quiet; suspiciously quiet for the Delta Quadrant, and it was beginning to put her on edge. The strong scent of roses caused her to open her eyes again in confusion. A large bouquet of red roses, interspersed with handfuls of baby breath, sat in a large ornamental vase on the corner of her desk. She frowned at the curious item and raised slowly to her feet. Smoothing down the front of her uniform and walking around her desk with an air of superiority, she lifted the vase in one hand and walked across her Ready Room. Pressing a button on one on the consoles of her Ready Room wall, she unceremoniously dropped the flowers into the disposal unit.

"That was very hurtful, Captain," a voice that grated on Kathryn's very last nerve sounded from behind her, "I even picked them myself".

Taking a deep breath and counting to ten, Kathryn turned on her heel to find Q lounging in her chair, his feet perched on the edge of her desk.

"What do you want, Q?" She asked with an air of indifference.

"Can't an old friend just drop by to catch up with the Godmother of his only child?" He asked with an incredulous wave of his hands.

Janeway stood straight as a rod, hands placed firmly on her hips.

"No," she stated.

"Fine, I heard you had a new crew member and I was curious," He admitted.

"So?" Janeway shrugged.

"I just wanted to remind you," Q suddenly became fascinated with a small ornamental box on the Captain's desk and picked it up to inspect it further, "Of your duty, as Captain, to protect _every_ member of your crew".

Janeway strode over to her desk and plucked the box from his grasp, slamming it down with unnecessary force and towering over the man below her.

"Are you threatening a member of my crew?"

Q's eyes widened comically at her accusation, but he kept his tone steady and serious.

"Oh contrare, Mon Capitaine," He rose to his feet and leaned in towards her, his voice lowering to barely a whisper in her ear, "I'm threatening _you_. If any harm should befall Red I, along with many others, shall hold you personally responsible. And that is not a threat I make lightly".

With a flick of his wrist, he dissolved into nothingness before her very eyes, leaving a shocked and confused Captain to ponder over his words.

 _Who the hell is this woman?_

On the deck below, the Mess Hall was teeming with activity. Neelix bustled from table to table, alternating between offerings of coffee and his latest spectacular recipe. Ensigns hurried between the kitchen and the replicators on missions to retrieve sustenance for their superiors and the tables were crowded with those who, temporarily, found themselves off duty. One such table, in the middle of the hall, seemed to be unofficially allocated to the command team alone. Commander Chakotay sat at the head of the table, which gave him a good vantage point from which to communicate with everyone else. Seven Of Nine and Samantha Wildman sat on his right having an in-depth discussion about Naomi's studies over the top of Harry Kim's head as he sat hunched between them. His attention was firmly fixed on the redheaded commander who sat across from him. On the rare occasion that they would pause for breath, he would interject a meaningless comment into the animated discussion between Commander Scarlett and Lieutenant Paris.

"… So the whole film is just a weird hallucination as he falls to his death?" Tom asked incredulously.

"That's one theory," Red confirmed between mouthfuls of leola root stew, "Tell me this- When you first watched Vertigo, did you get the weird sense that it wasn't quite right?"

"Yeah," Tom agreed, "Like it was a little 'off'"

"Hitchcock intentionally used unusual lighting, colours and mise-en-scene, which is why the film was such a flop when it first opened. So either it was a genius way of portraying this 'slightly off' dream world of a dying man," Red paused to emphasise her point, "or he was trying too hard to be innovative and it back-fired".

"I'm going with genius on this," Tom affirmed.

"You're so full of crap," Red laughed.

"I never liked Hitchcock movies," Harry quickly interjected.

"Oh, I'm not saying I dislike his films," Red corrected, "I mean Psycho really was a masterpiece. I'm just saying there were better film auteurs-"

"If you mention Tarantino again, I'm going to scream," Tom laughed.

"I'm sorry, but those who have not seen The Hateful Eight do not get a say in the matter…" Red playfully jabbed him with her spoon.

"Del Toro," Harry quickly interjected one of the few film directors names he could recall.

"Pan's Labyrinth!" Red and Tom exclaimed in unison, earning a prideful smile from Harry in response, before beginning yet another in depth discussion about yet another film. Neither of them aware that they were being carefully watched.

B'Elanna Torres stood, hidden behind a pillar next to the Mess Hall door, and observed this overly friendly interaction with great interest. She still couldn't put her finger on what it was about the new addition to the crew that inspired so much hatred in her. Maybe it was the way she would flick her long red hair out of her face- _I mean, she's Starfleet for crying out loud. Tie your hair up!_ Maybe it was how quickly she managed to integrate herself into the crew on a personal level. 5 years on board Voyager and there were still people B'Elanna had yet to win over, and yet they hung on 'Little Miss Perfect's' every word. Maybe it was the way she would put her hand on Tom's arm or shoulder as if it belonged there, as if she knew and understood him better than she did. Either way, she could feel that old familiar Klingon beast building up inside of her. The anger, the hatred, the compulsion to fight for what is rightfully _hers_.

She couldn't recall the moment her feet began to move her across the room from the comfort of her hiding spot. All she remembered was her hand reaching out to grab a handful of that shiny red hair and pulling.

"Ow!" Red shrieked in surprise as she was pulled unceremoniously to her feet, her hands instinctively reaching behind her head to grab the offenders hand. In one swift movement, Red used her position to her advantage and her small body as leverage to flip her attacker over her and onto the floor.

B'Elanna blinked up at her in disbelief.

"Take 10 minutes to cool down, Lieutenant," Red ordered calmly, "Come and find me when you're ready to have a civilised conversation."

B'Elanna scanned her surroundings to find all eyes on them. Everyone had just witnessed her being taken down by this tiny waif of a woman. The shame swirled with the anger that boiled inside of her and she knew, she wasn't ready to 'cool down' just yet.

As Red turned to retrieve her tray from the table, B'Elanna kicked her legs out from under her, sending the Commander to the ground.

"Lieutenant!" Chakotay admonished.

B'Elanna expertly moved on top of her, but before she had to chance to pin her down properly, Red flipped them over, straddling B'Elanna beneath her and pinning her hands to the floor.

"Calm down Lieutenant!" Red ordered a little more forcefully, "I've taken on Klingons twice your size. Trust me, this isn't a fight you can win."

"You think you're so perfect, don't you?" B'Elanna snarled.

"I can assure you, I am not," Red replied as B'Elanna continued to struggle beneath her, "Now please take a deep breath before you say or do anything you might regret."

"You think you can come on board this ship and do anything you want! You don't even care how your actions affect the rest of us!"

Red loosened her hold on B'Elanna and began to stand up as the rest of the command team helped B'Elanna to her feet, holding her back.

"Tom is mine!" She growled, and for the first time during the whole incident, Red actually looked shocked.

"I know," Red stated simply, "Tom was just telling me about you date night plans-"

"Then why are you sniffing around him?" she accused.

"I'm not. We have a lot in common and I enjoy his company-"

"You really expect me to believe that?! You-"

"Lieutenant!" Red finally raised her voice, effectively silencing B'Elanna, "A year ago I stood and watched as my girlfriend was murdered in front of me, 4 months ago I was forced to relive my worst nightmare as I was captured and held prisoner in almost complete isolation, and less than a month ago I found myself stranded thousands of lightyears away from home with a bunch of total strangers. You'll forgive me if romance is not my number one priority!"

A silence fell over the room.

"Girlfriend?" B'Elanna enquired a little more calmly.

Red laced her hands behind her back and straightened her posture in an attempt to regain her composure.

"Needless to say," she confirmed, "As lovely as Mr Paris is, he is not my type."

With that she turned towards the door and began to walk away, fully aware of the mass of people watching her every move. As the doors slid open in front of her she turned to offer one more comment to the now subdued Chief Engineer.

"I just wanted to make a few friends".

Kathryn Janeway stormed into her Ready Room once again and made a beeline for the replicator.

"Coffee, black!"

She barely needed to finish the sentence before the replicator whirred to life. Many a time she had wondered if she even needed to say it anymore when she entered her Ready Room, the computer just seemed to know.

She picked up her coffee and turned towards her desk, slamming the cup down and flopping into her chair with very little grace. The vase of flowers had yet again appeared on the edge of her desk, accompanied with a small box of chocolates and a card that simply read "Mon Capitaine". She had neither the strength or the energy to get up and throw these away. Instead, she sat back in her chair and rubbed her tired eyes.

Janeway had been making her usual rounds when the news of the fight in the Mess Hall reached her. How was this happening? As if she didn't have enough drama to deal with. With the one-sided feud between Tuvok and Neelix, and the various crew members who regularly lodged complaints about the Doctor. Hell, it seemed like only yesterday she was breaking up a screaming match between Seven and B'Elanna.

"Day before yesterday," Janeway corrected herself out loud.

She was just about to gather up the courage to tap her com-badge, ordering the Commander and the Lieutenant to her Ready Room when her door chimed signalling a guest.

"Enter!" she barked irritably.

Red bustled into the room as her eyes scanned the PADD in her hand.

"Captain," she began, "I have the latest Engineering report from B'Elan-"

She suddenly stopped in her journey towards the Captains desk as if sensing something was amiss. She squared her body into a defensive stance, as if preparing for battle. Her eyes darted around the room as if searching for the answer to some long forgotten riddle, before landing squarely on the Captain with a curious gaze.

"Everything alright, Commander?" Janeway enquired, standing to her feet as she too began to look around the room for the danger the redhead had sensed.

Red shook her head, as if answering an internal question with an emphatic "no".

"Was there someone else in here before me?" she asked cautiously.

"Glad to see your senses haven't dulled, Dearie," a voice cooed directly into her ear.

"Jesus Christ, Rumple!" Red swore as she jumped a good meter away from the Imp, her hand covering her violently beating heart.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Cuz that's how you get yourself killed."

"Oh, you wouldn't kill me, Dearie," he smirked menacingly, "The price of that would be far too high".

"I'll take my fucking chances," she retorted, stepping into his personal space once again. Two pairs of eyes bored into each other threateningly, each daring the other to strike first.

 _I better break this up before I have a murder on my hands,_ Janeway thought, not overly confidant who's body she'd be scraping off her Ready Room floor.

"I've missed this," Q waved a hand between them as the corners of his thin lips crept upwards into a friendly smile.

"Me too, Sweetie," Red grinned childishly and wrapped her arms around Q's neck, pulling him in for a hug and kissing him affectionately on the cheek.

"How've you been?" she asked pulling away from him.

He nodded in response.

"And Belle and Gideon?"

"Belle only gets more beautiful as the years go on," He admitted, "And Gideon is following in her footsteps. He's a very bright child and a veracious reader".

"I'm glad to hear it".

"And you? What brings you to the Delta Quadrant?"

"Adventure." Red stated matter-of-factly, and by the slight chuckle and shaking of his head, Janeway got the impression he'd heard this answer before.

"Commander," Janeway cleared her throat as the two of them turned towards her, vaguely startled as if they had completely forgotten her existence, "What exactly is your affiliation with the Q?"

Her eyes narrowed interrogatively.

"The Q?" Red asked, shaking her head in confusion.

"OH!" Realisation dawned, " _You're_ Q!"

She pointed and accusing finger towards the man in front of her and received an exaggerated bow from him as a response.

"It all makes sense now…" she pondered over the thought.

"OW!" Q cried out in protest as a swift THUD landed on the back of his head.

"That's for Guinan" she explained simply.

"Wretched creature," Q muttered under his breath, "and dangerous if you ask me".

"No one did," she countered, "And you'll leave her alone, unless you want your dear wife learning about what you've been up to in your free time."

"Fine," He raised his hands in defeat, "No physical harm shall befall the vile creature, _Your Majesty_ ".

She glared at him, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You're cooperation is appreciated, _O Dark One_ ".

"Commander!" Janeway warned, her voice dripping with irritation.

"Right," Red turned to the Captain, once again being reminded that she was, in fact, in the room.

"As far as 'The Q' goes, I know nothing," she admitted sincerely, "I only know Rumple from my time in Storybrooke".

"Storybrooke?" The Captain asked skeptically.

"He ran the pawn shop just up the street from the Diner, with his wife Belle. Back then he went by 'Mr Gold' and earned himself the nickname of 'Rumpelstiltskin" because he had a habit of trading valuable items for favours".

"Red worked part-time in my shop for a while," Rumple nodded in agreement.

Janeway crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the two of them suspiciously.

"Captain," Red cooed gently, "As long as I am a member of your crew, I can promise you two things: I will always follow you're orders regardless of whether or not I agree with them, and I will **never** lie to you."

Janeway's stance softened slightly at the sincere promise in Red's voice. It was true that the Captain never felt as if she got the entire story from Red, but it was also true that Red had never exactly _lied_ about her past. Avoided certain aspects? Most definitely. But lied? Never. She turned to address Q as one last test of this truth.

"Where exactly is Storybrooke?" she challenged.

"Maine, USA," Rumple stated without missing a beat, "Beautiful town, even if it wouldn't have been my first choice… would you like coordinates, because I have them memorised in case I ever need to return?"

"That will not be necessary, thank you" Janeway held up a hand to put a pause to the absurd ramblings.

She sat back in her chair and attempted to rub away the headache that always miraculously appeared when Q did.

"Commander, you have a report from Engineering?" She held out a hand expectantly and the PADD was handed over.

"Yes Captain," she started, "All repairs from the previous attack have finally been completed."

"Thank you," Janeway sighed, chucking the report on top of the ever-growing pile, "Now, what's this I hear about a fight in the Mess Hall?"

"An unfortunate misunderstanding."

Janeway quirked her eyebrow in a way that simply said, "Care to elaborate?"

"Lieutenant Torres was under the impression that there was more to my relationship with Tom Paris than there actually is-"

Red was interrupted by a hearty chuckle from Rumple.

"That gangly nitwit?"

"As I was saying," Red continued, "She let her temper get the better of her, but the situation has been resolved".

"Does this need to go on her record?" Janeway enquired.

"It certainly wouldn't help matters," Red replied, "If it's alright with you Captain, I'd rather talk to her myself. She clearly has issues with me that I'd like to resolve discretely."

"Agreed" Janeway nodded, "Sooner, rather than later. If this becomes a problem I'm going to have to insist on counselling sessions for the two of you."

"hm," Red seemed to mull over the thought, "A Klingon, a Commander and a holographic Doctor walk into a counselling room… sounds like the start of a really bad joke".

"One that ends in blood and tears," Janeway smiled before picking up the engineering report and scanning through it.

"Dismissed, Commander".

Red turned to march out of the room and the doors slid open in front of her. She turned to regard Rumple with a calculated smile and received a sinister smirk in response.

"Play nice, Rumple," She ordered, gesturing towards the frazzled Captain before the doors shut behind her.

"Yes, _Rumple_ ," Janeway sighed as she lifted a now cold cup of coffee to her lips, "Play nice".

She had to admit that the power the petite redhead had over this man was quite amusing to her.

"Oh, I think I've played enough for today," Rumple quipped, and with a flick of his wrist he was gone once again.


End file.
